"Finding a company that allows me to work from home has allowed me to organize my life with my family my way. But it takes vision and commitment from the top down." by Stacey Sicurella.
My recent company-wide meeting brought it all together for my co-workers and I – how we have found a way to have our version of work-life balance. We gathered in the comfortable Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, conference center, most of us having just met for the first time. We did some getting-to-know-you exercises and learned that a sales rep from Oregon is thankful to see the sun of Boston; another from Florida was happy to feel the cool air; our sales VP relaxed amidst the lack of bustle compared to her New York City office; our VP of Marketing lived in 17 different places. And I found that I was happy to be with so many co-workers who are much like me–90% of them to be exact. We learned a great deal about our company culture, how that culture came about and why we were all attracted to our employer. I suppose this is the goal for any corporate off-site or team-building event, but for us, it was much more personal. We are a small company made up of professionals who have chosen to work for a company on the cutting edge of work environments…entirely virtual. On a typical day, we are connected by Skype, email, mobile phones and “the cloud”, but on this day; we assembled in person to celebrate our first
GiftCard Partners “on-site meeting”. We are (by Wikipedia’s definition) a “virtual services company”, an entirely remote or telecommuting company. Our leaders offer us what we employees share in common, home, family, our own structure, or lack of it. Since the day I traded in my 9-5 Account Executive post and daycare rat-race routine to stay at home with my family, I’ve thought; “it’s so cool that I’m with my kids AND work around their needs and schedules”. We learned in our on-site that this family focus was entirely purposeful, the foundation for our company, and it was way ahead of its time. More than 10 years ago, these entrepreneurs built their business on family values and their love of being wherever they wanted to be while working. Home, outside, or wherever a laptop can be carried is a work environment. This was built from the understanding of how difficult it is to be a parent and work full-time, or even part-time.
10 Years of Vision GCP’s co-founders Ed Shulkin and Deb Merkin explained to us their 10-year-old vision. It was to run their company in the most flexible way possible…not just “flex-time”, or frequent telecommuting, or company mobile phones for easier touch-bases while getting a head-start on the commute – but to be a truly innovative, technologically advanced remote workforce who have made a decision to trade in their gas guzzler for slippers and family.
The Outcome This declaration of our founding wasn’t even the best news. Ed announced that we’ve doubled in employees this year, we’ve realized double digit financial growth despite the economy, and we are getting more tools to advance efficiencies and excellence. There is simply no stopping a workforce that is as proud and fulfilled as we are. A few facts that I’m not sure Ed and Deb had thought of 10 years ago.
- Our work-from-home model allows us to acquire the best talent from around the country, without relocation. Distance, traffic and train schedules have no say in who works for us.
- The power of networking and staying in touch with good workers brings talent to us. It was unimaginable 10 years ago that communications tools like LinkedIn and Facebook that tell us what people are up to.
- Our carbon footprint was barely measured when this company was founded. Now, it’s a big deal to save the environment of emissions, alleviate the toll on public transportation, minimize the drain on electricity for office buildings, plastics and non-environment friendly equipment and electronics.
- Healthier people are better employees both in performance and long term motivation. The missing commute each day gets us on the treadmill, outside walking, and exercising with our family and pets. Fewer on-the-go lunches and take-out dinners saves us fat and calories and promotes better health.
- Long ago we knew video conferencing would become important, but now video, audio and text Skyping offers us the remote communications experience that only large companies could once afford.
The Future So, stepping back to our on-site meeting. It was introduced to us that the founding principles of our company should become our everyday doctrine.
Family. Ed and Deb posed that we expand our definition of family to consider ourselves part of a company “Family” working together for common professional and personal goals. With what I learned in our company meeting, this expanded concept of family is not likely a novel idea or passing thing for us. My boss was willing to take a leap of faith that I could juggle my small children and my work, so I’m willing leap into this extended company “Family” concept. I suggest that being a “work-at-home mom” is the new career woman. In doing so you might rediscover what family really means to you. For some companies, innovation is their key to survival, for GCP, it’s our means for growth, success, and happiness at work and at home – both families.
